WITH CEREMONY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 226, 24 September 1934, Page 7

WITH CEREMONY.

BISHOP ENTHRONED.

New Head of German Church Takes Oath. DR. MUELLER'S BIG DAY. (United I\A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 12.30 p m.) BERLIN, September 23. The Bishop of the Reich, Dr. Mueller, was ceremonially enthroned to-day as the first Federal Bishoj) of the German Evangelical Church. A Storm Troop band headed a procession in drizzling rain from the Preussenhaus to the Cathedral, which was guarded by a strong force of lierr Hitler's Black Shirts. The interior of the church was lavishly decorated with flags and swastikas. Dr. Mueller, kneeling before the fiowerbedecked altar took the oath of devotion to his task of "maintaining unity, peace and the word of God in the Church." Ho rendered thanks to God lor what Ho had done for the German people through Herr Hitler. Other bishops then filed past and shook hands with Dr. Mueller, to whom they pledged loyalty, giving the Nazi sign. The procession then reformed and marched to the Lustgartcn, where Dr. Mueller addressed a large crowd. Meantime, opposition pastors throughout Germany read to crowded congregations protests against the enthronement of Dr. Mueller. The most notable opposition was a service at Ansbach, addressed by the Bishop of Bavaria.

STRONG PROTESTS.

Protestant Fighting Spirit Aroused. LUTHERANS DETERMINED. (Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, September 23. "The Times" Berlin correspondent reports that the cathedral was crowded with a selected congregation for Dr. Mueller's enthronement. Uniformed Storm Troopers bearing flags and representatives of the German Christian movement stood on each side of the altar. The Primate and 29 bishops, all of whom except one were of Dr. Mueller's creation, formed a procession down the aisles. After the formal instalment and enthronement and consecration Dr. Mueller simply assumed office, standing before the altar expressing his vow to fulfil the duties in accordance with the Gospels. Dr. Mueller's address was noncommittal. He appealed to the congregation to help in the building up of one German Evangelical Church. At the conclusion of the service the Primate appeared in the cathedral, wlieiO a curiously small crowd had assembled.

Meanwhile, in the churches of the opposition tile ministers held overflowing services. The Rev. Nicmoller, a wartime submarine commander, preached in Dahlem Church, Berlin, which was so full that the congregation sat on the altar steps, while others waited outside in the rain. The congregation was in tears' as the minister concluded: "Lord help us, we perish."

At Munich, Protestant Bavaria demonstrated widely in defence of the principles of the reformation against the dangers of religious despotism. Thousands of south Germans assembled at Ansbach singing Luther's hymn. Many invalids, who had been unable to attend the church for years were wheeled to the services in bathchairs.

The Kev. Mciser said that the Protestant Church had never aroused such a mighty fighting spirit ns during the present crisis. Bavarians were firmly bound to the Lutheran faith, and could not agree with the administration of the Reich Church on a political leadership principle, with dictatorial powers emanating from the arbitrary will of a single individual.